The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Elders Council has mandated the President of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Professor George Obiozor, to begin immediate consultation with other ethnic groups in Nigeria, to actualise the goal of an Igbo president come 2023.

This was disclosed in a communique issued by the group after their meeting at the Government House in Owerri, on Saturday, hosted by the state Governor, Hope Uzodimma, alongside the Governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, as well as representatives of other governors.

Speaking at the meeting, the group maintained that the year 2023 was the turn of the Igbos to provide the country’s president, and warned Igbo politicians to desist from speaking against zoning.

“The elders’ council mandated the President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo worldwide to work with Igbo socio-political intelligensia to pursue the task of ensuring that Ala Igbo takes the turn in producing the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in 2023.

“The elders’ council frowned at the sudden rhetoric from partisan leaders in Igboland that zoning should be de-emphasised. Insisting that even that will be, it will be after Igbo have taken their turn.

The council mandated the Ohanaeze Ndigbo to also work in consultation with other ethnic groups in pursuant of this objective. We urge every Igbo man with the needed capacity to show interest in the 2023 presidency,” the communique read.

Speaking on the security challenges faced by the region, the group said: “The council mandates Ohanaeze Ndigbo leadership to work in consultation with the state governments in Ala Igboland, to reduce the vulnerability of those residing outside Igboland to the current abysmal state of affairs.

“The council agrees that Ala Igboland needs a security outfit to begin to address the things that are peculiar to the culture, religion, and tradition of Ala Igboland.”

Ripples Nigeria reported that Uzodinma had disclosed that the governors of the five south-eastern states planned to hold a summit in Owerri to discuss the modalities of setting up a security outfit for the region.

The governor said the summit would help to access the security situation in the region and proffer the best solutions to its security challenges.